Pump



PUMP' Filed March 23. 1929 Patented 12, 1930 UNITED vsrA'rl-:s

PA'rlalKrr oFFlcE y JULIUS W. GERHARD, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORT0 SOUTHERN ACID AND SULPHUR COMPANY, INC., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ACORPORATION OF VIRGINIA PUMP Application filed Harch 23, 1929. SerialNo. 849,318.

My linvention relates to pumps and particularly to pumps of the kindintended for 'impelling acids or corrosive liquids. The

principal 'obj ect of the invention is to produce a pump of this kindthat will make an eicient use of the driving power, in which the elementof wear and tear will be kept as low as practicable. The inventionconsists in the pump hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification, andwherein like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the pump with the enclosing shell removed andlooking at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vert-icalsectional view of the main antifriction bearingofthe pump; Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view of the uppermostantifriction bearing of said pump; and

Fig. 5'is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

.Pump

In the manufacture of sulphuric acid, hotacid' solution accumulates inthe acid pot or tankv to the depth of several feet; and from this tankthe hot solution is circulated by the pump through a pipe system back tothe acid pot. Cn account of the heat and corrosiveyness ofthe acid, thepumps heretofore used have been subject to rapid wear and tear and haverequired so `much repair and replacement of parts that the cost ofmaintaining them, including the loss of time while they are'out lofcommission, has been very considerable.

' According to the present invention, the pump is made with averticalcasing A open at its top and at its bottom and provided about midwaybetween topv and bottom with an inlet opening 1. Atall of theseopenings,

' top, bottom and side, are provided circumferential flanges that areperforated for bolts by which the adjacent parts maybe secured thereto.Cn the exterior of the casing A near the top thereof is a perforatedbracket 2 by which said casing may be secured in position.

Suspended from the top of the caslg A is the barrel of the pump whichextends entirely through said casing. The upper portion of the barrelcomprises a skeleton cage B in the form of a lower ring 3 that restsupon and is bolted to the top flangeof said casing A, andv .side opening1 therein. Opposite said side opening l, the hollow cylindrical portionC of said barrel has a large opening 6 in its side for the admission ofliquid to the interior thereof, and there is a vertical rib 7 on theinterior of said barrel extending from a point some distance above saidopenlng to a point some distance below it. The portion ofthe barrelbelow said side opening 6 in the hollow cylindrical portion C is reducedin diameter, as at 8, and screwthreaded n the exterior of said reducedportion; and uponsaid reduced portion 8 is threaded an extension Dof thebarrel, which extension is likewise4 reduced, as at 9, and threaded atits lower end and upon its reduced end is a similar extension E. Thatis, the lower end of the body'of the hollow cylindrical portion C of thebarrel is `reduced in diameter. and the lower end of each of theextensions D and E, respectively, is likewisereduced in diameter.

On top of the cage B if the pump barrel is mounted a hollow housing orshell F for the driving shaft l0 which is suitably connected to a motororengine (not shown). The lower end of said housing F has acircumferential rib or ange 11 that rests on top of the upper` ring 4 ofthe cage B of the barrel and is secured thereto by bolts or cap screws12. Said housing F has an annular rib 13 formed on its inner wall nearthe bot# tom to form an annular seat for the outer raceway member 14 ofa. ball bearing adapted for cooperation with a series of balls 15. Thisouter raceway member is positioned by a ring with a thrust rib 20 at itslower end.

The inner raceway member 19 lits on a sleeve 21 whose lower end isprovided with a circumferential rib 22 on the exterior thereof, whichsleeve forms an angular seat for said inner raceway member. The upperportion Aof said sleeve is of reduced outside diameter and provided onthe exterior thereof with a screwthread, which is engaged by thescrewthread of an adjusting ring 23 whose end bears against the top ofsaid inner raceway member. whose lower end has threaded engagement witha hole in a plate 16 that is secured to the bottom of the housing. A

The propeller shaft 10 extends vertically through said housing F and thetwo sleeves 21 and 24 therein and the plate at the bottom of saidhousing and has its lower end formed for coupling with the propellershaft 25 of the pump. Near its top, Ithe housing F has a rib 26 insidethereof upon which rests a perforated closure plate 27. Still nearer thetop, said casing has a second offset forming a shoulder or seat for theouter raceway member 28 of an upper bearing, adapted for cooperationwith two series of balls 29. The inner raceway member 30 is mounted on asleeve member 31 that is secured to the shaft 10; and the upper end ofthe housing F is closed by means of an end plate 32 secured to the topof the housing by means of cap screws 33. The annular space between theupper end portion of the pump shaft 25 and the pump barrel is closed bymeans of a sealing ring 25L which is supported in the opening in thebottom of the skeleton cage B of said pump barrel.

The pump shaft 25 is located axially in the barrel of the pump, .withits up er end coupled endwise to the propeller sha 10 by a suitablecoupling located opposite the openings in the cage B. In theconstruction illus'- trated, the pump shaft 25 is preferably a hollowcone with its large diameter at*` the top where it is provided with anexterior circumferential rib 34 that is perforated to receive lockingbolts 35 that pass through a similar flange 36 at the bottom of thepropeller shaft 10. The pump shaft 25 is supported wholly by thepropeller shaft 10 and extends entirely through the pump barrel. Thelower end of the main body member C of the pump barrel has a spider 37,preferably formed integral therewith with an axial opening therethroughwhich is provided with a bushing or bearing member38 that servesasaguide The sleeve 21 fits over a sleeve 24 and bearing for the pumpshaft. Likewise the bottom member E of the pump barrel has a spider 39therein which has an axial bore in which is mounted a bushing 40 thatserves as a guide and bearing for the lower end portion of the pumpshaft 25. The lower end of the intermediate member D of the barrel islikewise preferably provided with spider 41 and guide bore for the shaft25. Suitable impellers Gr are mounted on the pump shaft. In theconstruction shown, one impeller is mounted below the uppermost spider37 and above the middle spider 41 and the other impeller is mounted onthe shaft below said middle spider and above the lower spider 39. Duringpumping, the upward thrust on the pump shaft is resisted by the thrustbearing 15. The spider 37 has radial vanes which serve to guide theliquid against the uppermost impeller; and the spiders 40 and 41 haveradial or helical vanes which operate to convert the rotary orcentrifugal motion given to the liquid by the impellers into an axialdirection of flow. The number of impellers are in pro ortion to the liftdesired.

A suita le type of impelleiJ comprises a central hub 43 with helicalvanes 44 that lit freely in the respective portions of the pump barrelin which they are mounted; said vanes being of the proper lead to impelliquid downwardly. The impellers are fixed to the pump or propellershaft preferably by means of split hollow cone wedges 43EL that areforced into the impeller; hubs by nuts 43b threaded on the lower ends ofsaid cone wedges. l

The bottom of the pump casing A is secured to a hollow reducing member Iwhose upper diameter is substantially the same as that of the pumpcasing and whose lower diameter is reduced to correspond with that ofthe pipe system connected therewith. In the construction illustrated,the reducingl member I has circumferential ribs or flanges at top andbottom perforated to accommodate bolts that extend through similar ribsat the bottom of the barrel casing and at the top of a quarter turnfitting J. This last mentioned ittin is equipped with a pedestal 45that'is pre er- Ul ILUUEL al all main support of the pump.

Between the lower end of the pum vcasing A and the top of the reducingmem er I is clamped a ring 46 that fits around the lowermost shoulderportion of the extension E of the barrel ,casing and serves to close theannular space between the barrel of the pump and its casing. Theoperation of the construction hereinbefore described is as follows: Theweight of the pump is supported by the pedestal 45 and the pump issteadied in its vertical position by the bracket 2 at the side thereof.The drive shaft 10, which is suitably connected to an electrical motororother source of power,

' blades G force the liquid downwardly. As

' the inlet port 1 in the side of the pump casing the pump shaft 25 ishung from the propeller shaft, the entire weight of the moving parts issupported by the ball bearings on which the pro eller shaft is mounted.Assuming that A is in communication with the acid Ipot or tank and theelbow or litting J at the bottom of the pump casing communicates withsaid acid tank, the acid entering said inlet opening is propelleddownwardly by the impeller vanes and out through the bottom of thecasing whence it is forced back to the acid `pot or to such other pointof delivery as may be desired. As the impeller vanes are arranged todrive the liquid downwardly, the reaction tends to lift the pump shaft25 and the driving shaft- 10 from which it is suspended, and suchtendency results in an easing of the thrust on the ball bearings whichsupport said shafts.

t follows, therefore, that the greatest end thrust on said bearings isthe downward thrust due to the dead weight of the pump lshaft and partsmounted thereon, when said shaft is stationary. When the shaft is inmotion, the reaction of the impeller vanes against the liquid tends tooffset said4 dead weight and appreciably reduce the downward thrust onsaid bearings. A In fact. under certain conditions, the initial downwardthrust on' said bearings is reversed and the end thrust on the bearingsis in an upward direction.

' It is noted that on account of the initialend thrust on the supportingbearings being eased or reversed in operation, the wear on said bearingsis considerably reduced and the life thereof is greatly lengthened. Itis also noted that on account of the acid being forced downwardly anddelivered through the bot` tom of the casing, the danger of leakage atthe top of the casing is minimized or eliminated and the usual stutlingbox is dispensed with. It is further noted that by reason of the sealinring 46 at the bottom of the casing A all of t e liquid is forced topass through the barrel of the pump and is delivered in y such mannerthat it cannot return.v

manufacture of sulphuric acid, it is obviously applicable to other uses.

What I claim is: l. A pump comprising a caslng having an inlet openingin the side thereof and a de-- livery opening in the bottom thereof, abarrel suspended from the top of said casing hav#A ing an inlet openingopposite the inlet opening of said casing and an out-let opening at thebottom thereof, and a shaft suspended inside of said barrel havingimpellers thereon adapted to force the liquid downwardly,said

barrel having a vertical rib on theinterior.

thereof extending across said opening opposite said shaft, said shaftbeing supported above said inlet openings by antifriction bearingsadapted` to take care of vertical thrust and radialload, afnd below saidinlet openings by bearings provided therefor lin said barrel.

2. A pump comprising a casing having an inlet opening inthe side thereofand a delivery opening in the bottom thereof, a barrel suspended fromthe top ,of said casing and having an inlet opening opposite the inletopening of said casing and an outlet opening at the bottom thereof, apropeller shaft sus.-

pended inside of said barrel above the inlet opening thereon, said shaftbeing` supported by antifriction bearings adapted to take care ofvertical thrust and radial load, a pump shaft suspended inside of saidbarrel from the lower end of said propeller shaft and having impellersthereon adapted to force the liquid downwardly, means for closing theaunular space between the upperend portion of said pump shaft and saidbarrel, said barrel being provided below the inlet opening thereon withbearings for supporting the lower end portion of saidpump shaft.

3.A pump comprising a casing having an inlet opening and a deliveryAopening located below said inlet opening, a barrel suspended inside ofsaid casing from the top thereof, said barrel being provided oppositethe inlet opening. of said casing with an in let opening and beingprovided adjacent to the discharge opening of said casing with adischarge opening, a shaft located .inside of said barrel and havingimpellers thereon adapted to force the liquid downwardly, and radial andend thrust bearings mounted on the upper end of said 'barrel forsupporting said shaft therein, said casi-ng being provided in its topwith a laterally extending bracket and at lits bottom with a supportingpedestal. i

4. A pump comprising a easing having an inlet opening in the sidethereof and a delivery opening in the bottom thereof, a barrel suspendedAfrom the top of said casing and having an linlet opening opposite theinlet e opening of said casing and an outlet opening at the bottomthereof, means for 'closing the annular space between said casing andsaid barrel at the lower end of the latter, a shaft suspended inside ofsaid barrel and havingA impellers thereon adapted to force the liquiddownwardly, means for closing the annular space between said shaft andsaid barrel at llO the upper end of the latter, and antifrictionbearings mounted in said barrel above the means for .closing the spacebetween said shaft vand the upper end of said barrel and adapted to takecare of vertical thrust .and radial load.

5. A pump comprisng a casing having an inlet opening in the side thereofand a delivery opening in the bottom thereof, a barrel suspended fromthe top of said casing and having an inlet opening opposite the inletopening of said casing and an outlet opening at the bottom thereof,means for closing the annular space between said casing and said barrelat the lower end of the latter, a shaft suspended inside of said barrelland having impellers thereon adapted to force the liquid downwardly,means for closing the annular space between said shaft and said barrelat 2U the upper end of the latter, and antifrietion bearings mounted insaid barrel above the means for closing the space between said shaft andthe upper end of said barrel and adapted to take care of vertical thrustand radial load, said barrel comprising a main body portion having anextension threaded thereon below the inlet opening therein and a similarextension threaded on the lower end of said first mentioned extension,the 3U lower ends of said main body portion and said extensions beingprovided with bearings for the lower end ot' said shaft.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 21 day of March 1929. :m JULUS W.GERHARD.

